· by Michael Blair, Nashville's Mover
Large appliances are heavy, awkward and full of water, gas fittings or loose parts that do damage if they shift in the truck. Most moving crews will carry them but will not disconnect them, and a crew that finds a washer still plumbed in or a range still on its gas line either waits on the clock or leaves it behind. Most of the preparation is simple. Some of it is not yours or the crew’s to do, and all of it needs finishing before the truck arrives.
First, which appliances are actually going
In a sale, what stays with the house is set by the purchase agreement, not by habit. Built-in dishwashers, wall ovens, cooktops and over-the-range microwaves are generally treated as fixtures and stay put. Refrigerators, washers and dryers are negotiated and are often named in the contract as staying or going. Check before telling the movers to load something the buyer expects to find.
For whatever is going, give the moving company the list when you get the quote, noting a counter-depth or French-door refrigerator, a stacked washer and dryer, or a chest freezer. Size decides whether it clears the doorways at the new place and what equipment the crew brings. A wide refrigerator sometimes has to lose its doors to get through a narrow opening in an older house.
Washers, refrigerators and water lines
Shut the washer’s hot and cold supply valves, take off the hoses and drain them into a bucket. Run a short spin, or lower the drain hose into a bucket, to empty the pump and tub. Front-loading washers left the factory with shipping bolts through the back to lock the drum; if you still have them, put them back in, because a drum swinging on its suspension over a few miles of road can damage it. Lost bolts can be ordered by model number.
An electric dryer just unplugs, and its vent hose comes off and travels with it. A refrigerator with an ice maker or water dispenser has a supply line, usually a thin copper or braided line from a valve behind it or under the sink; close the valve, disconnect the line and cap or bag the end. Empty and defrost the freezer and secure the doors with a strap or stretch wrap rather than packing tape, which can leave residue on stainless or painted fronts.
Gas appliances are a separate job
A gas range or gas dryer has to be disconnected and the line capped, and that is work for a licensed plumber or gas fitter, not the moving crew and not a homeowner with an adjustable wrench. Most moving companies refuse gas connections for exactly that reason. Book the disconnection for the day before the move and book the reconnection at the new house the same way.
Natural gas in Nashville comes from Piedmont Natural Gas, while the surrounding cities and counties are served by several different gas utilities, so find out which one serves the new address and set up service well ahead. Electric ranges are easier, since most plug into a range outlet, but some older ones are hardwired and need an electrician to take them off the circuit.
- Gas range or dryer: a licensed plumber or gas fitter disconnects and caps
- Hardwired range or cooktop: an electrician
- Washer and ice maker lines: shut off, drained, capped
- Front-load washer: shipping bolts back in
- Refrigerator and freezer: empty, defrosted, doors secured
At the new house
A refrigerator that rode upright can be plugged in once it is in place, but most manufacturers suggest letting it stand a while first, longer if it spent time on its side, so the compressor oil settles back where it belongs. The owner’s manual gives the time for that model. Allow several hours for it to reach temperature before loading food, which is one more reason the perishables should travel in a cooler.
Reconnect the washer with new hoses if the old ones are several years old or got kinked in the move; a burst washer hose is a common source of water damage, and a steel-braided pair is cheap. Check that the new laundry room takes the same dryer plug, three prong or four prong, because older and newer houses often differ and the cord may need swapping. Level each appliance, then run the washer through one empty cycle while you watch the connections.